By Bill W
April 28, 2014 – Every race team sees some issues along the way and the Brian Brown Racing Casey’s General Stores/FVP #21 team is not exempt. The Grain Valley, Missouri driver was a definite contender Saturday night with the World of Outlaws at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Missouri, but got caught up in an incident while running in the top five. It’s the way the year has gone to date. This weekend, the team hopes to turn that around as they monitor the weather in two locations. Plan A is ASCS action Friday near Muskogee, Oklahoma and Knoxville on Saturday. Plan B would be a two-night show with the WoO at Eldora Speedway in Ohio.
You started the weekend on the Salina High Banks in Oklahoma with the World of Outlaws and timed in 9th quick.
The track slowed down quite a bit from beginning to end, and we were able to lay a pretty good lap down. Ninth quick is a good spot to be in with this format, because it puts you on the front row of the heat.
The heat didn’t work out the way you wanted it.
We weren’t able to get the jump outside of (Sam) Hafertepe. We just weren’t that great in the heat. We fell back to third there, got searching around, and actually fell back to fourth. We needed to keep the momentum of starting on the front of the heat, and we didn’t do that.
Still, ninth quick let you start in row five for the feature. I know the track surface was a concern for everyone.
It was already taking rubber in the B, and they went out and reworked it. We went back with a setup where we were hoping it wouldn’t lay rubber until later in the A. We went out for the practice lap, and the rubber was already down. We were pretty tight. We fell back a couple of spots and ended up twelfth.
You’ve had success at Pevely in the past with the Outlaws, and you started Saturday with sixth quick.
It was another case where we went out when the track had slowed down some. To be able to go out and make that good a time was a good sign for our team. To end up sixth quick was good.
You needed one driver quicker than you to win his heat and get you in the Dash, and you got that.
Joey Saldana did us a favor by winning his heat. That meant we just needed to finish in the top six in ours to make the Dash. We were able to pass Paul McMahan and run second. That was good momentum heading into the Dash. We probably kept the car a little freer than we should have in the Dash and finished sixth.
You moved forward in a hurry after starting sixth in the feature.
We were able to get to fourth pretty quickly. We fell in line and kept in contention there. I was hoping to save the tires a little bit for later in the race. We had a caution there, and Kerry (Madsen) snuck by us on a double-file restart.
That’s when the trouble started.
I came down the frontstretch and saw (Donny) Schatz on the fence in one and two. Kerry and I went in there. He got into the fence, and I got collected. Come to find out, Dustin Morgan had blown a motor and put a bunch of oil down there.
That put you out, but you still had to feel good about being in a position to finish up front.
We tore some things up on the car that didn’t let us continue. It was kind of par for the course for our year so far. It’s been a struggle, and when we’ve been fast like we were at Pevely, we haven’t had the luck. We’re looking forward to getting past it. It’s a long year. We’re only a quarter of the way through and it hasn’t been like we’ve wanted. That doesn’t mean the next three won’t be exceptional.
I know you feel fortunate to have the team that you do.
This is when a team shows their strength. Chad Morgan and Zach Thomas aren’t giving up. It’s going to turn around, it’s just taken a little longer than expected. Hopefully, it will be this weekend.
Follow Brian on the Web, Twitter and Facebook!
Follow Brian at his website located at www.BrianBrownRacing.com!
Also keep up with FVP, Casey’s and Brian on Facebook and Twitter at the following links…
Twitter Links – @BrianBrown21, @FVPRacing, @CaseysGenStores
Facebook Links
Brian Brown Racing – www.facebook.com/pages/Brian-
Casey’s General Stores – www.facebook.com/pages/Caseys-
FVP Racing – http://www.facebook.com/
Other Web site info
Casey’s: www.caseys.com
FVP: www.fvpparts.com
Brown’s Bits
Brian won ten races in 2005. He won twice each at the Knoxville (IA) Raceway, Junction Motor Speedway (McCool Junction, NE) and I-80 Speedway (Greenwood, NE). He also won at State Fair Speedway in Sedalia, MO, 24 Raceway Park in Moberly, MO, Bolivar (MO) Speedway, Outlaw Motor Speedway in Muskogee, OK, Park Jefferson (SD) Speedway and 4×4 Speedway in Carrick, Tasmania.
15% off of Enco Tools Purchase!
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About Casey’s General Stores
Casey’s General Stores is a Fortune-500 company (NASDAQ CASY) operating nearly 1700 convenience stores in 11 states through the Midwest. Known for its “Homemade-To-Go” pizza, sandwiches, donuts and bakery items, Casey’s strives to consistently deliver quality gas, fresh kitchen-prepared food, clean environments and friendly service at every retail location. Casey’s is currently the 12th largest c-store chain and sixth largest pizza chain in the United States.
About FVP
We are very excited to introduce our new line of automotive chemicals, oils and fluids to our product offering. These new products will be available at many retailers across the country. We continue to offer a full line of high quality oil, air, cabin air and fuel filters, plus a complete line of high quality batteries for multiple applications including cars, trucks, SUV’s, commercial and other specialty vehicles. All products are made to OE manufacturer fitment specifications. FVP products are engineered to provide our customers with quality products that are equal or superior in performance to the major national brands at a competitive price. To learn more about our FVP products or to find out where you can have FVP products installed in your vehicle, visit us at www.FVPparts.com! FVP…The Confident Solution
Marketing Partner of the Week – Smiley’s Race Products
Smileys Racing Products and Hoosier Tire Southwest have been in the racing business for 30 years in the Dallas, Fort Worth area. Visit Smiley’s the next couple of weeks, either in Kennedale, at the showroom store in Mesquite, or at the racetracks. All employees at Smiley’s Racing Products and Hoosier Tire Southwest are directly involved with race teams either as owners, drivers, pit crew members etc. What this means to you our customers is racing advice that has been tested on the track first, and then we pass our findings on to you our customers. From parts and tires to complete race cars, Smiley’s Racing Products and Hoosier Tire Southwest is ready to help you get to the checkered flag first. All aspects of our business can be seen at www.SmileysRacing.com. Click on catalog and put your information in and we will send you a catalog free of charge.
Associate Marketing Partner of the Week – HostIowa.net
Brian says – “One of the most important parts in making your team look professional, is your website. I believe we have one of the most professional ones out there. Kyle McCullough at HostIowa.net has not only been able to help us, but a lot of my friends. He’s a good friend, and I appreciate what he does for us.”
If you have been searching for a reliable web solutions partner – your search is over! HostIowa.net is a homegrown, time-tested full-service web hosting and development partner. They will work with you to determine your needs and implement the right solution using services and technologies that best meet your goals. HostIowa.net is an industry leader in web hosting, web application development, and database solutions for a wide range of customers in Iowa and the United States. Contact Kyle today at www.HostIowa.net!
Brian Brown Racing would like to thank Casey’s General Stores, FVP, Searsboro Telephone Company, MC Power, Impact Signs Awnings Wraps / impact4800.com, Champion Brands, DNA Energy, Ditzfeld Transfer, Maxim Racing, Smiley’s Racing Products, Enco Tools, Weld Wheels, Housby Trucks, www.RateWin.com, Arctic Cat, K&N, www.hostiowa.net, FSR Race Products, TI64, Fuel-Safe Tanks, Wolfe Eye Clinic, Bell Helmets, Hinchman, CP Pistons, Carrillo Rods, Vortex Wings, Penray, All Pro Cylinder Heads, Butler Built Seats, AkzoNobel, Kenny’s Components, www.AllDayParts.com, Tru Square, Jack Links, Deli Express, Snap-On Tools, Rod End Supply, KSE Racing Products, Winters Performance, Cometic Gaskets, Shell Shock, Donovan, ISC Racers Tape, Kinsler Fuel Injection, Racing Optics, Mothers Wax, Hoosier Tires, Klein RV, XYZ Machining, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, Red Devil Brakes, Schoenfeld Headers, 6B Apparel, Bosch, Garrett Racing Engines, MSD, Moyle Racing Engines, Fortress Wealth Management, Legacy, Flexzilla and WSIB Insurance for all their support!